STAPLES Center Gets Makeover

While the two-time defending champs underwent a mini makeover this summer by adding five new roster players, their home for the past 11 years—STAPLES Center—also made some much-needed cosmetic changes this past off-season. Today, the arena officially unveils their new, state-of-the-art 4HD jumbotron system, which should come as a welcome change for those of us who attend games and have been forced to watch replays on a low-quality screen not unlike the ancient TV at my grandma’s house.

The new scoreboard now has eight screens for you to watch Bynum dunking, Kobe fading away and Fisher draining dagger threes—a major improvement from the previous version. Sasha Vujacic and the Clippers’ Craig Smith were even on-hand to introduce a preview of the fancy new digs. For all the hoops fans out there who double as techies, you can read up on the specs in the official release.

I remember watching Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Kings on the jumbotron with about 19,000 other rabid fans and that was long before the days of 3D, HD and whatever else they’re coming up with now. As the premiere franchise in the NBA, the Lakers in-arena experience deserves to be the best too.

Watch as Sasha—in his typical dramatic fashion—presses the magic button to showcase the scoreboard in-action for the first time: